Apparatus for preparing ores for sintering



1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Oct. 24, 1933. B. G. KLUGH APPARATUS FOR PREPARING oREs FOR SINTERING Original Filed June 14 Oct. 24, 1933. B. aKLuGH APPARATUS FOR PREPARING ORES FOR SINTERING Original Filed June 14, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Oct. 24, 1933 l ArrAnrUs Fon PREPABINGQRES Fortv SINTERING' Bethune G. K lugh, Birmingham, Ala., assignor `to 'Amerioan Ore'R'eclam'ation Company, New

York, N; Y., a corporation of New Yori;

'ongtnaltapplmo-bn 'June 11, 192e', serial No. 115,763.' 'Divided and this ap lvioa'tion July 23,

Ai939. swarm'. 469,962

12 Claims.

The present invention ,relates to on irnnroved apparatus desned for preparing Powdered vor pulverlred ores. for .sihterinef An n nnnretus of the general type to vvhoh the present invention re- 5 lates is .illustrated end desorihed in rny pending nloolieetiong Serin! No.- ,115363 nled June 14, 1926 Which has become Patent 1,718,193, of which .eophontion `.this is .e division Inr preparing ores for slnterins it is neoessery 1C! that Water and fuel be vadded to the ore4 and thoroughly interrnired therewith to torni n suhstontielly'hornoeeneous mess With sorne ores suoh e thorough mining of the materiels in e suitelole mixing epherntus. is. suflieient to prepare the1n for the sintering onerotion- With other ores, howevery Snell ,es those of n nlostle nature., end more portioulnrly .When heine .mixed with hnely divided oerlooneeeous fuel, there .i's e tenden oy for the ore to oselom rete into lerne messes .20 under the tnrnhline .notion .of the mixing Cylinder, vvhloh tends to prevent the thorough ednnnture 0f the Cal'pollaceolls .m91 .tgllrewlth- .Ill T lflbeen found theft sueh ores ,ore better prepared for the Sill'telllg Op'lalill by lSt nlifng th? n ll'ialS in o suitable mixing .device to nrst ooeornnlish the require@ mtmay .0f 1.1131511?? O f me m91, @11d ore., end .then to suheot the resultent mixture, which nos been properly f .nrostened in tnernixine device.: 120 9"D.?l11 1lg" .QSE-@U99 S0 @s t0 Produce smell globular aggregates of ,uniform Composition- This transforming .or thenreterlel .into suon dggfegrlS 1S dtsilfaple 2.21.5 .it trends t9 increase il@ speed of sintering in down draft sintering apparatus.

With the above in view, itis the principal object of the present invention to provide drineans'for balling the mixture after the ore Ahas been passed through the mixing epneretus end has lbeen brought yto the proper consistenoyffor this balling operation. y y

Other obleets a 11d advantageous 'tentures ef my invention will be apparent from the following description thereof taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in Whichy Fig. l is a `side elevational view, somewhat di-l agremrnotio in -fehereeter illustrating my ,irriproved .balling means in the Aform of'a Ucone associated With errnrlne apparatus for helling the material after the mining thereefl Fig- 2 is a similar lllustret'ne e helling Y@one Whioh is oontieuously joined to the'rnlrine cylinder;

Fig. 3 is a side ,View of another embodiment' wherein the fballing ,cone vextends back over 5.5 the mixing cylinder;

'Fig' 4 illustrates another kform oi this latter embodiment; and

Fig. 5 is a transverse sectional View through one of the balling cones, illustrating a polygonal contour which may be given these cones.

.I have illustrated end .shell vdesoriloe rnv .irnproved balling means in connection with a ing apparatus .0f .the type shown anddescribod in my ah've mentioned pending application, but 'it is'to be understood that such improvements may 65 be shelled 'to' any other suitable tyne' o`.f ,Innung appamws. I I

As illustrated in, Fig. 1, the mnehl .'.e comprises a bed or base frame 1l above Whichis supported the revolving',r cylinder l2. Four pairs'of bearing 7 0 bloelrs 1.3 rise from this tedtvvo pelrs'et .eeloh side of .the .oyli'nde'r l2, ond support the lourne'l .ends of four fieneed rollers 1.4- ndirio'ent its 'ends the cylinder 12 has secured thereto Circular treads or rines 1.5' vvhioh 'roll on 'the 'flanged rollers. 111 75 whereby the tCylinder is, sunnorted'for rotary mo.-

'tionl' 'rii .flanges of the rollers lil engage .the

sides .et the treed nnss 115 thereby' nourrie thelylndger a anst endwise shifting movement.

` Rising ilonr .the ends' .of .the hed 1.1 ere. two 80. bearing standards' 16 and 17 in' which are jonrll noted the ends et two brede supporting shafts 18 andv ,1 9 vvhloh passthroush ythe Cylinder '1,2 odio: oent the lower oortion'thereof; The, tvvo shafts e Y1'8 11nd 19 are seared .together for' rotation in' 8.5 opposite 'direct'ions` by mearsof .spurgeeirs I rlOllIlft..-`

ed on these shafts .in nieshins'relntionl Qnly ,the spur gear 24 mounted on the shaft 19 is illustrated in Figs. l to 4 as only one of the ,blade supporting shafts is illustrated therein. I n the `coins,t'ructivcyr; 90 shovvnthe shaft 191s extended beyond the bears lne stendnrds 1d .for .lnountlriev suitable driving element 27,'V '(Fig. 3) 'such as a vpull-5'f'mo`r gear; through Whieh driving .energy ,is tronsrnitted'to the machine.' Those portions of the tv/o ,s lllnts 95 .1e ond .1s whieh ertend'throush the-.oyhnoer'lz may be of square .or polygonal section for riount ing' .the bled@ llllits? f u The rient hind ,end ozf .the .shaft .1.9 .is extended heyond .the .right hond .hearing support 11'! .for 10o reeeiving a spur pinion 32 yvhleh meshes with@ large' -spur ygear 33. This' large spur ,gear is rnountedlon,doountershsiteertending.along ide the .cylinder-12 and iournaled in shaded .hear es mounted'on .herne ertenslons 3l and .secured 105 to th telrniediate portion'ofthiscountershain es r.shown-n.1 Fie- .1, is' e .smell snroehet vvheele over vvhioh'tlooks e driving ohdin 11- This their? ofured to ,the .outer veifro'unnlerer1`e-e or theeyllnder 1,10

12, preferably at a point intermediate the tread rings 15.

v It will be apparent that as a resultl of this driving relation between the shafts and the cylinder, driving rotation imparted to the pulley 2'7 in the direction indicated will result in rotation of the two shafts 18 and 19 in opposite directions, and in rotation of the cylinder 12 in a counterclockwise direction as viewed in Fig. 5.

Mounted on the shafts 18 and 19A at spaced points along their lengths within the cylinder 12 are a plurality of paddles or mixing blade units 44. It is not believed to be necessary to describe these mixing blade units in detail herein as they have nothing to do with the present invention and are described in detail in my above-mentioned pending application. It will suice to mention here that each of the blades 44 is disposed helically relative to its hub so that it will have a feedingpitch for gradually feeding the material back through the cylinder along the bottom thereof; also that the blade units on one shaft ed on a shaft 49, the ends of which project beyond theends of the cylinder '12 for mounting in bearings 51 carried by a stationary frame structure 52 embracing the ends of the cylinder. `Arms 53 extending from the ends of this scraper shaftf49 support counterweights 54 which tend to' hold the scraper pressed against the side wall or" the cylinder. The scraper preferably extends `forwardly against the direction of rotation of the cylinder so that the action of shearing the material from the wall of the cylinder will operate to "press the scraper with greater pressure against this side Wall.

' The water for admixing with the ore is sprayed downwardly 'from an apertured spray pipe 56 extending; longitudinally of the cylinder adja` cent the' upper part thereof; The volume of water projected through these downwardly opening spray apertures can be regulated by the control Q'The, ore` is fed to the mixer through an inlet i chute' 5e which dischargesinto the right hand in thedirections indicated in Fig. 5 Will tend to coniine'this material in a pile in the lower 'part of the cylinder. Moreover, the two sets of blades, by rotatingA in the directions indicated, have the action of throwing the material upwardly between the two shafts in a veritable shower of material, which falls back upon the blades and upon the sidesof the cylinder. The'consequent agitation or stirring of the material will present new surfaces to the action of the water projected down from the overhead spray pipe 56. As the material becomes somewhat plastic or carries the material back into the Zone of blade action. It is not desired to tumble the material in the cylinder, and this tumbling is avoided by rotating the cylinder at a relatively low speed, as 'described inl my pending application above identified.

The action of the several blades on both shafts 18 and 19 is to feed the material progressively along the bottom of the cylinder simultaneously with their mixing action. The completely moistened Aandrmixed material is finally discharged over the outlet end of the cylinderl and into an apparatus for balling Vthe Amixture following its mixing and moistening in the cylinder 12, in order to transform the mixture into small spherical-aggregates. Y Y

Coming now to my improved ratus with whichA my present application has more particularly to do, as'shown in Fig.V 1,"66 indicates a rotating drum or chamber, preferably of conical form, which is associated with the mixing device above described. As shown in said iigure, -this drum 66 is positioned adjacent the left hand end of the mixing cylinder. As illustrated, the shafts 18 and 19, the scraper 49 and the spray pipe 56 extend through the balling drum, but the blade units 44onthe shafts 18'and 19 are not extendedinto this drum, and hence the material precipitated into the drum is not subjected to any further mixing thereby. In the embodiment illustrated insaid Fig. l the balling druml is provided with tread rings 67 and 68 adjacent its ends, which tread rings track on flanged rollers 69 and 7l the 'journal ends of each of which are supported in pairsof bearing blocks '72, two pairs of whichfbearing blocks rise from the bed 1l on each side of the balling drum 66. It will be seen, therefore, that the balling drum is mounted to rotate on the bed Vin a manner similar tothe cylinder 12,-and the balling drum is held against endwise shifting movement by the flanges of the rollers 69 and 71 engaging on the inner sides of the tread rings 67, 68. The discharging end ofthe mixing cylinder 12 extends a short distance into the smaller end'oil the balling drum'66 as shown, and the large end of the drum can be arranged to discharge into a chute or receptacle, `as desired. 'Such chute or receptacle is not illustrated as it` forms no part of the present invention and any receiving means suitable for the purposemay be employed..KA

The balling drum 66 'isdriven by a chain 73 passing over a sprocket wheel 74 on the countershaft 34 and tracking overa sprocket ringV '75 secured to the circumferenceof Ithe balling drum. If desired, the balling drum'may bedriven at a higher speed than the mixing cylinder 12 to augment the tumbling and balling ,'actionof `thematerial, as will be readilyunder'stood. j

In Fig. 2 I have illustrated the same general relation of balling drum and mixing cylinder, with the exception that in'thisembodiment' the balling drum is secured directly to the end of the mixing cylinder so as to rotatetherewith. In

balling Happai esi ing said mixing chamber and receiving the mixed material therefrom.

7. In apparatus for preparing materials for sintering, the combination of amixing cylinder disposed substantially horizontally, a shaft within said cylinder having mixing blades thereon operating adjacent the bottom of said cylinder, means for rotating said shaft and said cylinder, and a conical balling shell supported substantially concentrically of said cylinder with the small end of said shell adjacent the discharge end of said cylinder and the large end of said shell adjacent the inlet end of said cylinder.

8. In apparatus for preparing materials for sintering, the combination of a rotating chamber comprising a mixing portion of generally cylindrical form and a balling portion flaring outwardly from said mixing portion substantially in continuation of said mixing portion, and a power driven rotating mixing element operating within the mixing portion of said chamber.

9. In apparatus for preparing ores for sintering, the combination of'a generally cylindrical shell disposed substantially horizontally, a mixing element operating within said shell, the lower portion of said shell functioning as a trough for said mixing element, means for rotating said shell and said mixing element, and a secondary shell receiving the mixed material from said rst shell and comprising a plurality of angularly disposed longitudinally continuous surfaces for balling the mixed material therein.

10. Inapparatus for preparing ores for sintering, the combination of a horizontally disposed cylinder, supporting rollers, tread rings on said Cylinder tracking on said rollers, a shaft Within said cylinder, mixing blades on said shaft, the lower portion of said cylinder functioning as a trough for said mixing blades, means for rotating` said cylinder and said shaft, a conical shell extending coextensively from the dischargeend of said cylinder for receiving the mixed material from said cylinder, supporting rollers, and a tread ring on said conical shell tracking on said rollers for rotatably supporting said shell, said shell functioning to ball the mixture received from said cylinder, and means for rotating said mixing and balling chambersat different speeds. y 7

11.' In apparatus for preparing ores for sintering, the combination of a conical shell disposed substantially horizontally, means for feeding the ore to the small end of said shell, and means for rotating said shell, the inner surface of said shell being of polygonal cross-section, the polygonal faces thereof being relatively smooth and continuous longitudinally of the shell and having a pitch which will result in the ore being carried upwardly along the sides of the shell for rolling downwardly and forwardly toward the discharge end thereof, whereby the ore is caused to agglomerate in spherical form prior to discharge from said shell.

12. In apparatus for preparing materials for sintering.' the combination of a generally cylindrical drum disposed substantially horizontally, a

shaft within said drum, mixing blades ron said shaft operating adjacent the lower side of said drum, means for rotating said shafty and said drum, and a revolving conical shell receiving the material directly from said drum for balling the 

